Great Expectations
by Flynne
Summary: April's career has literally gone down in flames and she helped strike the match. Since then, she has utterly failed to fulfill any expectations her family had for her, and every goal she set for her life has changed. And she wouldn't change a thing. A series of one-shots. "Have you ever heard the proverb 'man plans and God laughs?" "God must have a pretty warped sense of humor."
1. Ambition

_Based on the 2003 series. This chapter takes place shortly after the season 1 episode "Nano"._

Ambition

April stared at the brick wall uncertainly. She knew the lair entrance had to be close, but she hadn't come down on her own before. She shifted the paper bags in her arms and wondered if she should knock. Would knocking even work through brick?

The sudden hiss of hidden hydraulics made her jump, and the wall a few yards to the left slowly parted with a low rumble. She took a deep breath to slow her pulse and smiled at the Rat that stood waiting for her. "Hi, Master Splinter."

"Come in, Miss O'Neil." The answering smile on Splinter's face was genuine and, April was glad to see, devoid of the caution that he had initially regarded her with. "Donatello told me you were waiting out here."

"How did he...?"

"Hidden cameras."

She couldn't help glancing around the dark, drippy tunnel but saw nothing. No big surprise there. She stepped inside as the wall closed behind her, hefting the bags she held. "I picked up a few things for you. Some non-perishables and batteries in the left one and some fruit in the right."

Coffee-black eyes warmed in gratitude. "You know you do not need to do this."

She smiled back. "I know. Where should I put these?"

Splinter held out his arms. "I will put them away. Go find Donatello."

April handed the bags to Splinter and veered off to the right, circling around the edge of the lair to the cluster of computers against the far wall. A flash of silver caught her eye as she moved around the first pillar and she saw Leo in the center of the room, moving in slow, liquid sweeps with a katana in each hand. He didn't speak, but he smiled a little as he saw her before the flow of his movements turned his shell toward her.

Don was already grinning in welcome. "Hey, you made it!"

"Sort of. I got to the right hallway but I forgot where the door was."

"Well, that's kind of the point. Um, not that we want you to forget, but we can't exactly hang out a 'welcome' sign."

"I suppose not," she said with a wry smile. She settled into the extra desk chair. It squeaked alarmingly but remained steady. "Okay, give me the details. What was that thing that broke into my shop? I know you guys figured something out but I was busy patching up Casey the Muscle-Brained Ape – all I know is you were messing around with that old microscope and then you were gone. Thanks for dumping him on me, by the way."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Don rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "We wanted to stop it before it was too late. As it was, we barely succeeded. It was a robot built with self-replicating nanite technology."

She blinked. "Come again?"

"The technology was pretty awesome, actually," Don said, reaching for his pad of graph paper. "Or it would have been if it hadn't been trying to kill us." April bent her head to look at Don's attempt at sketching the robot's schematics. "I wish I could have brought part of it home to study, but the nano-bots are lethal. Put them near any technology and they engulf it to make the robot bigger. It has a hive mind with some sort of artificial intelligence, too, but it can't be reasoned with. It was like dealing with a gigantic, destructive toddler."

April snickered. "You'd be surprised how destructive the _average_ sized toddler can be." She shook her head in awe, looking at Don's drawings. "I've never seen technology like this before. It makes the Mousers look like Tinker Toys."

Splinter emerged from the kitchen to stand near Leonardo. He watched his son's exercises for a moment or two before giving the stone floor a sharp rap with his cane. Leo immediately whirled and flowed through his previously slow steps at lightning speed. April felt her mouth fall open a little as she watched, hardly able to follow him as he moved. She felt an irrational compulsion to tell him to _be careful_ with those huge swords and had just enough time to realize what an incredibly stupid thought that was before he came to an abrupt halt, crouching with his blades crossed.

Splinter circled around him once or twice. He paused and extended his walking stick to nudge the back of Leonardo's right leg, bending his knee by a degree or two before nodding in satisfaction. "Well done, my son. Nearly perfect." Leo relaxed and straightened, looking pleased with himself.

"Wow," April murmured.

"Yeah, he's been working on that one for a couple weeks," Don said.

"It's pretty quiet here today," she observed, glancing around. "Where are Raph and Mikey?"

"They went out a little before dusk. Just doing a sweep of the neighborhood. There's been a lot more gang activity lately. We're not sure why."

Her brow furrowed. "Do I need to be worried?"

Don shook his head. "I don't think so. Seems like the break-in to your store was a coincidence. I don't think it's related."

April's eyes widened in surprise as her phone chirped. She dug it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. "It's my sister. I can't believe I get reception down here!" Don just slanted her a look that said, _What kind of engineer do you think I am?_ She rolled her eyes and hit the "answer" button. "Hey, Sis! How've you been?"

"_Hi April! I'm doing great. Work's keeping me busy as usual. I was just calling to check in. How are you?"_

"I've been pretty busy, too. You know how I still live over Dad's old antique shop?"

"_Yes..."_

"Well, I'm reopening." She leaned back in her chair, grinning back at Don when he smiled at her before turning back to his computer. "There's been a lot of interest. I think it's actually going to do really well!"

"_That's great, April."_

The smile faded from April's face as she heard the note of hesitation in Robyn's voice. "But...?"

Robyn paused for a beat. _"I just...I want to make sure this is what you want. I mean, you had that great job with Dr. Stockman..."_

"And that turned out _so_ well."

"_I know, I know, but you were so excited about it! Even if Stockman did end up being..."_

"A megalomaniac super-villain? I ended up being the unwitting Igor to his Frankenstein."

Don darted a glance in her direction and quirked an eye ridge.

Robyn laughed. _"Well, I wasn't going to put it like that. But no matter what he did, that shouldn't affect __**you**__, should it? You have a masters in mechanical engineering and a killer r__é__sum__é, and I know you were thinking about getting your PhD.__ I'm sure you'd have no trouble finding another job. Will running an antique store really make you happy?"_

A troubled frown darkened April's face. She wasn't angry. She'd been asking herself the same question, and while she thought she knew the answer, there were moments where she questioned the major life decision she had (rather abruptly) made.

"_You're not mad at me for asking that, are you?" _Robyn asked slowly, misinterpreting her sister's silence.

"No, Robyn, I'm not mad." She heard the grating rumble of the lair entrance swinging open behind her and cupped her hand around her phone to shield it from the noise. "I know this is a big change but I didn't make it lightly. I - "

"Guys, what happened?" Leo's voice rebounded sharply off the yellow brick walls. Don's wheeled desk chair skittered away as he jumped up and hurried to meet his brothers. April swiveled to follow him with her eyes and saw Mike and Raph walking close together as they entered the main living area. Mikey's face looked drawn and he was hunched oddly with his left arm held close against his body. He seemed steady on his feet, she noted with relief, but Raph had a guiding hand on Mike's right elbow and the scowl on his face was more concerned than angry.

"_April, are you there?"_

"Uh, yeah...yeah, I'm here. Sorry, Rob. I just got distracted."

Splinter joined the Turtles near the entrance. Despite being half the size of his hard-shelled sons, he threaded his way easily between them to rest his hand on Michelangelo's forearm. The family lingered there only a moment before Raph and Don steered Mikey toward the bathroom, Splinter close behind. Leo jogged around the pool at the center of the lair and disappeared into a room on the far side.

"_Is everything okay?"_

"Yes, everything's fine. But I think I need to go. Can I call you back?"

"_Sure. Take care, okay? I love you."_

"Love you too, Sis. Talk to you soon." She hung up as quickly as she could without sounding abrupt, hesitated just a moment, then set her jaw determinedly and headed for the bathroom. She may not be family, but she'd quickly become fond of this unusual little clan and she wanted to make sure Mike was okay. She could hear the shower running as she drew near.

Splinter startled her as he emerged from the open door. His arms were full, holding Michelangelo's mask, gear, and weapons. His ears twitched forward when he saw her. She wasn't sure how to interpret the gesture.

"Is Michelangelo okay?" she asked in a small voice, feeling suddenly intrusive.

"He has been injured, but he will be all right," came the reply. He studied her for a moment more, then his expression softened. "You may go see him," he said kindly. He stepped past her and disappeared into Mikey's bedroom.

April waited a moment until the self-conscious blush faded from her cheeks, then stepped cautiously into the doorway. Mike was seated in the bathtub with his back to the shower head, letting the water pound against his carapace to flow down his arms and plastron. Don was perched on the edge of the tub, and Raphael was hunched on the closed toilet lid with his elbows propped on his knees, glowering at the shower curtain bunched against the wall.

Don looked up first. "Hey, April. Come to visit the wounded warrior?"

"April! I didn't know you were here." Mike half-turned to smile at her over his shoulder. "Chicks dig scars, right? I'm gonna be the sexy one now."

"I thought you were the pretty one," Don said absently. He put his hand on Mikey's shell and pushed gently to nudge his brother back under the lukewarm spray.

Mike's breath hissed between his teeth as he flinched, but he wasn't deterred. "I'll be the pretty one _and_ the sexy one."

April smiled a little. "Who are you dethroning as the sexy one, then?"

Don and Raph said together: "Me." Don chuckled and Raph let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly as his shoulders relaxed.

April moved to stand next to Don so Mikey wouldn't have to crane over his shoulder to see her, but her green eyes widened in dismay when she saw the savage, oozing red burns spreading across his left shoulder and arm. "Oh, Mike, what happened?"

"Purple Dragons," Raph growled. "We were passing through one of the junkyards and ran into one of their crews messing with a couple cars. I don't know what they're up to, but they were using some kind of ultra-concentrated battery acid. Someone who shall remain nameless managed to get splattered with the stuff while getting in someone else's way."

April had been around the Turtles long enough to know that they never 'got in each other's way' during a fight. Each ninja was always aware of where his brothers were.

"Well, I couldn't let them splash it all over your _face_," Mikey said. "I mean...you're weird looking enough. I didn't want you to have to wear a mask or anything."

"We already wear masks." The "duh" in Raph's voice was heavy enough to crush a cinder block.

"I meant like the Phantom of the Opera, Dude." Mikey's voice quavered a bit as he shivered and he gave Don a plaintive look. "Donny, I'm getting cold, here."

"Sorry, Mikey. You've got a little while yet. We've got to make sure that stuff is washed off of you. And it won't feel good on that burn if the water gets any warmer."

Satisfied that Michelangelo would be all right, April withdrew. She entered the main living area at the same time Leo did. He gave her a friendly nod and started sorting though the armful of first-aid supplies he was carrying. The lair was silent aside from the sound of running water and the droning voices from the television as Splinter watched the news.

The sound of the shower stopped ten minutes later, and the three Turtles emerged from the bathroom soon after. Mike was nearly dry except for his injured arm, but he looked chilled. He let Don guide him over to the couch while Raphael made a beeline for the kitchen.

"Just let it drip, Mikey," Don was saying. "Your arm will air dry in a few minutes and then we'll bandage it."

Mikey dropped to the couch with a theatrical shudder and immediately pulled one of the blankets close around his body, leaving his burned arm and shoulder free. Leo cast an appraising glance at the wounds before he started tearing open packages of sterile bandage material. April's eyebrows lifted a little but she knew better than to ask where they had obtained the supplies.

Raphael reappeared, holding a glass of water in one hand an a couple ibuprofen in the other. He handed first the pills, then the glass to Mikey before slouching in an overstuffed chair. He took the remote that Splinter held out to him and changed the channel from the news to a college basketball game.

April sat back in another chair, letting her mind drift back to her aborted conversation with Robyn. Her sister was right – April's academic achievements and research experience were stellar and had set her far above from other candidates when she'd submitted her resume to the Stocktronics corporation. She had been thrilled to be included in one of the most cutting-edge companies in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. Baxter Stockman's work was world-famous and he had been on speed-dial for NASA and the Department of Defense. He had been in early discussion with Johns-Hopkins regarding the development of new technology for surgical lasers. April had landed her dream job.

She pulled her unfocused gaze away from the TV and quietly studied her companions. Don had retrieved his laptop from the lab and was sitting on the floor by Splinter's feet, propping his shell against the sofa. His face was illuminated by a bluish-white glow as he divided his attention between the computer screen and the enthusiastic cheers from the student section as the home team pulled ahead. Leo sat balanced on the arm of the couch, gently putting ointment on Mike's burns before bandaging them while Raph pretended not to watch.

Yes, April had had her dream job. But what would she be doing now if Baxter Stockman hadn't become corrupt? She'd probably be just getting home – it was easy to lose track of time in the windowless, brightly-lit lab. She would drive home to her dark, empty apartment, decide what to microwave for dinner from her mostly empty fridge, then eat in front of the TV until her eyes grew too heavy and she wandered off to bed. She did have close friends, but none of them lived nearby and most of them had started families of their own. There were a few work acquaintances she'd hang out with, but not very often.

And now...

Now, she closed the shop at 6. She still depended on the microwave for food most days, but after dinner it was still early. She'd go for a walk, or maybe to a movie. Sometimes she'd take a book or her laptop and go sit in Starbucks. The baristas were starting to recognize her and would smile when she came in. And every so often, she would hear a soft rapping at her window and four of the most amazing people (she had long since stopped thinking of them as 'creatures') she had ever met would climb in from the fire escape to ask how her day was and say good night (or good morning, in their case) before they went flying across the rooftops of the city. Her life was simpler, but it was fuller.

Admittedly, it wasn't perfect. Money was tighter than it had been before. She was starting to understand that being friends with the Turtles also meant being afraid for their safety, which was a bittersweet pain that she hadn't anticipated when she had first met them. There were days that she missed the challenge of her old job; but it helped that Don had enthusiastically welcomed her ideas and help in his inventing process. And Raphael had surprised her by giving her a tour of the inner workings of the Battle Shell's engine when she'd asked.

Leo carefully applied one more strip of surgical tape to the bandage on his brother's arm. "There you go," he said, giving Mike's shoulder a gentle pat. "That should hold you until tomorrow. We'll need to change the dressing every day for a while and you'll have to go easy on that arm during training, but you should be good as new in no time."

"Thanks, Bro." Mikey settled deeper into the cushions and pulled the blanket up to his chin.

Leo gathered up the leftover bandaging supplies, turning in April's direction before he left to put them away. "It's getting kind of late. Are you still okay here?"

She nodded. "I can stay a little longer."

He smiled. "Okay. Just let me know when you'd like to leave and I'll walk you home."

Her smiled widened as he walked away. "Walking her home" meant that she walked all by herself through the dark streets while at least one of the Turtles followed somewhere out of sight. She never heard or saw anything, but she felt safer than if she were walking beside a dragon. She hadn't felt that secure in a long time. She hadn't felt like part of a family in a long time.

She pulled out her phone and typed a quick text to her sister. **Can I call you tomorrow?**

_**Ok. Anytime after 5.**_

**Will do. Don't worry about me, Sis. I'm happy. I think this change is the start of something amazing.**


	2. Priorities

_Thanks to everyone who read or reviewed the first chapter! Robyn's words were in italics when I started writing this chapter, but there are several interspersed flashbacks that are also italics and I thought it looked too busy. _

Priorities

"Hello?"

"Hi, Robyn. It's me."

"_April!_ Oh, thank God! Are you all right? I've been worried sick! No one has been able to reach you, nobody knew where you were or if you got out of the building..."

April winced. She'd waited three days before she called her. It was far too long to wait, she knew that, but there really wasn't anything she could have done. "Yes, yes, I'm okay! I'm so sorry you were worried but I haven't had any access to a phone until now." Her fingers tightened around one of the cheap pre-paid cell phones that Casey had bought. Mikey insisted on calling them "burn phones" which he (and he alone) found way too entertaining. _"It's like we're ninjas __**and **__spies!"_

"Don't apologize – I'm just glad you're all right."Robyn gained control over her initial burst of relieved tears. She sniffled a bit and April could picture her palming away the dampness on her cheeks the way she always did. "Were you home when it happened?"

"No, I was...staying with a friend out of town. It's kind of remote so I didn't hear what happened right away." That was the story she'd decided on, anyway. Sort of a retreat – you know, leaving her phone, computer, and every single personal possession behind while she did some sort of technology-free cleanse. She shook her head in disgust. Even _she_ didn't buy it, but it was the best she could do.

"Where are you?" her sister asked.

April hesitated minutely as she thought, eyes darting around the dusty farmhouse. Someone was chopping wood out by the barn. The sharp sound of the ax shivered through the chilly winter air. "Somewhere in Massachusetts. I'm not sure exactly where." Well, at least _that_ was true. Casey had been the one driving and she had fallen asleep after they'd crossed the state line.

"Do you need me to come? I was about to buy a plane ticket anyway...the insurance adjustor keeps calling me, and I've been talking to the police every day. I would have come sooner but I was babysitting my friends' kids while they were traveling and I couldn't leave."

"No, I'm fine. _Really_, Robyn. I'm okay, I wasn't hurt, and I'll take care of things." She could hear her sister crying softly again and she sighed, slumping in her chair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't call."

"The police said there was a gas leak."

_A towering form in razor-sharp metal, flame-red eyes and a savage bass laugh rumbling louder than the thunder, steel clashing against steel, the smell of blood saturating the rain-soaked air._ _Leonardo was heavy against her, the tacky heat of his blood soaking through her clothing. She shuddered at the feeling but only held him tighter, refusing to let him go. Foot ninja poured through the windows like black rain, sinister and silent. Later, she would wonder how she managed to half-carry a barely conscious Turtle down the stairs and through her shop on her own – but right then, all she felt was her terrified heartbeat pulsing along her limbs, giving desperate strength to her arms and making his muscular weight feel light._

April closed her eyes for a moment. "Yeah, that's...that's what I heard. The building's destroyed, so we'll probably never really know." One thing could be said about the Foot: they were efficient. No charred, black-clad bodies had been left behind to be found by the fire inspector. April had started wondering what would happen when the inspector determined that no bodies _at all_ had been found. Would the Shredder believe they had all been killed? She had seen far too many of Splinter's soap operas to know that death was never certain until you saw the body (and even then, it wasn't quite a guarantee) but maybe they'd get lucky. Maybe vicious ninja assassin cults never watched "General Hospital".

The bigger question was, what would she do when it become public knowledge that rumors of her death had been greatly exaggerated? Or would it even matter? Had she even registered on the Shredder's radar or was she just some human blip eclipsed by the four Turtles he was determined to destroy?

"Well, it was an old building. I suppose it was only a matter of time before something broke beyond repair," Robyn was saying. "Was anyone else hurt?"

April glanced over at the sleeping Turtle on the couch beside her. "Not that I know of." The lie tasted bitter in her mouth.

_They stumbled out into the night. Leo's arm was still draped over April's shoulders, and she staggered as she tried to find her footing in the dark alley. She made it three steps before Leonardo lost his slippery hold on consciousness and became dead weight against her. She couldn't compensate for his sudden collapse and she fell to her knees with jarring force as he dragged her down. "Guys, help!"_

"_Aw, shell – he's out," Raph said. He darted an anxious glance over his shoulder at the burning building as he crouched down. "Give him to me. Hurry." Donatello and April helped the red-masked Turtle settle his unconscious brother on his back. "Don't get used to this, Bro," he grunted, hooking his arms beneath Leo's knees. "This is your first and last piggyback ride." _

_Don hovered close and kept Leo from falling backwards as Casey extended his hand to April to help her up. "You okay?"_

_She winced, brushing gravel from her jeans. "Yeah." Casey kept hold of her hand and pulled her along as the first shriek of sirens pierced the air. _

_Despite their injuries, the pace the Turtles set forced Casey and April to jog to keep up. Their speed saved them. Mere moments after their escape from the destroyed antique shop, the ground bucked beneath their feet and a thunderous explosion ripped through the air. Raphael lurched beneath his burden and would have fallen if Don hadn't caught him. Chunks of charred, flaming debris pelted the ground and thick, hot smoke engulfed them. _

_April choked back a sob, blinking stinging eyes. Casey, Splinter, and the Turtles stared at her in dismay. "April..." Don murmured._

_She shook her head, angrily swiping away her tears, leaving streaks of soot and blood on her cheeks. "We have to go!" she said, willing her voice not to shake. A second explosion shook the air like an aftershock, and they turned and fled as fast as they could, staying close to dirty, graffiti-covered alley walls._

"_Okay, so we're going," Mikey said, voice strained. "The question is: where?"_

"_I got a place we can lay low," Casey said determinedly. "But we can't keep goin' like this. You guys find a place to hide. I'll go get some wheels."_

_Don picked the lock on the back door of a second-hand clothing store and they filed quickly inside the cluttered storage room. Casey sprinted away, promising to be back soon. Raph settled against the wall and curled protectively around Leonardo. Don knelt next to him on the dusty floor, pulling off first his own mask and then Raphael's to begin a desperate attempt to staunch the bleeding from the worst of Leo's wounds. April huddled between Michelangelo and Splinter in the dark, took a deep breath, and refused to cry._

Robyn's voice cut through the dark, turbulent memory."Have you given any thought to what you'll do now?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said with a sad little sigh, ignoring the guilt that plucked at her sleeve as she realized it was the first completely truthful sentence she'd uttered during the whole conversation. She'd gotten pretty good at telling it slant over the past year. "I'll probably stay with my friend for a while – at least until I can figure out how to rebuild or move or something so I can open the store again."

April could practically hear Robyn's eyebrows lifting. "You want to reopen?"

She did not want to have this conversation. Forcing her voice to sound light and casual, she said, "Well, I put so much effort into getting that place set up. And, you know, it was kind of nice having the old shop open again. Don't you remember running around that place when we were kids?"

Her sister didn't answer right away. "But, April...everything's gone," she said gently, sidestepping the attempt at diversion. "Is it even worth it? I know your contract with Dr. Stockman had some kind of non-compete clause in it, but that time has to be up by now, right? I don't mean to sound insensitive, but wouldn't it be better to cut your losses and go back to your own field?"

Robyn was right. April's initial contract with the Stocktronics corporation had stipulated that if she were to leave the company, she couldn't work for a competitor for twelve months. She couldn't explain why she had chosen to open Second Time Around instead of looking for another temporary job. All she knew was that it had felt right. "You're right," she said aloud. "I know what I'm doing hasn't made sense, and I know you want an explanation. You're not the only one. Aunt Nora has had a few things to say, too."

"Oh, Lord, I can just imagine," Robyn groaned sympathetically. "But please tell me you don't think I'm some cranky shrew who can't mind her own business. I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. Mom and Dad had the mortgage paid off and the insurance money would be enough to give you a fresh start. You don't even have to stay in New York if you don't want to. We grew up in the city, but we don't have any family left there now. Before you found out about the job with Stocktronics you were thinking about leaving."

"Robyn. You've always had a clear idea of what you wanted to do with your life, and you're doing it. I know how that feels. That used to be me." She tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand. "But after running the shop for a while I realized that maybe I wanted something different out of life than I thought I wanted. I don't expect you to understand because you haven't felt that way. But can you at least believe me?"

"...Does it mean that much to you to stay?"

April didn't answer. She just stared out the smudged windowpanes. The brooding clouds had broken open and rain was spattering against the glass. Whoever was chopping wood wasn't letting it stop them. Probably Raph.

_After Leo's fever finally broke, he sank heavily into deep, natural sleep. When the first heady relief passed, the full reality of what had happened came crashing down. She should have known that Michelangelo would be the one who noticed she'd slipped away. He found her in the kitchen, staring at the teapot sitting on a burner she'd forgotten to turn on. _

"_I'm sorry," he said quietly._

_She blinked at him, wondering why he looked blurred around the edges until she realized silent tears were running down her cheeks. She quickly swiped the cuff of her sleeve across her eyes and took a deep breath, stopping her tears. "What for?"_

"_This is our fault," he answered, looking guiltily at the worn wooden floorboards as he entered the room. "If you hadn't helped us..."_

"_Mike. Stop." She stepped forward, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Look at me." He lifted his head, reluctantly making eye contact. "This _isn't_ your fault. No matter what happens, I will never regret helping you. I meant what I said – you guys are family. I lost my store. I lost my home, and to be honest I have no idea where to go from here. But I saved _you. _We saved Leo." Her throat constricted, and her eyes stung with fresh tears as she realized anew what she had very nearly lost. "It was just a building. I'd willingly sacrifice a lot more if it meant saving my family."_

_Mikey startled her by slipping his strong arms around her to pull her into a firm hug, hiding his face against her shoulder. It hurt a little – the Turtles were usually careful to temper their strength around her but he was exhausted, battered, and scared. But she ignored the pressure and the blunt edges of his shell digging into her ribs and hugged him back. And she told him something that she had never said out loud, something that was long overdue. "I love you, little brother."_

Robyn sighed into the phone, breaking the silence. "Look, April, I'm here for you. I can't pretend to understand, but that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you're all right. Anything you need, let me know. And if this is really important to you, then I'm behind you. Okay?"

A surge of affection and gratitude toward her sister warmed April from head to toe even in the drafty farmhouse. A sharp gust of wind rattled the loose window shutters, and Leo murmured in his sleep. April turned to look at him from her chair next to the sofa, huddled under his pile of blankets. The first bleak days where his life had hung in the balance were over, but he still looked young and very tired without his mask. The skin around his eyes had a bruised look, pulled taut with residual pain even in sleep. He shifted uncomfortably and a frown furrowed the smooth skin of his forehead.

April reached out and rested her hand very softly on his brow. She rubbed her thumb lightly over the little worry wrinkle between his eyes until the frown smoothed out and he slipped back into deep, dreamless sleep. A fond smile curled her lips.

"Thanks, Robyn. It's important."


	3. The One

The One

**Baby Steps**

The bell over the door jingled cheerfully, jolting April out of her daze. Glancing over to the entryway of the store, she felt a small burst of surprise to see Casey standing there. She'd seen him a few times here and there but he hadn't been by her shop since the day she'd met him.

"Hey, April. How's it goin'?"

"Casey. I'm surprised to see you here. Didn't think you were the type to go antiquing." She sat up a little straighter on her stool as sudden concern struck her, and she instinctively lowered her voice even though they were alone in the store. "Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean with the guys? Sure, everything's fine. I was coming by to see how _you_ were."

Her brow furrowed a little. "Oh...well...I'm okay, I guess."

"Raph said you were sick."

"Little green blabbermouth," she groused, scrubbing her face with her hands. "I'm not _sick_ sick. I'm just a little under the weather. Not enough for me to justify closing for the day." It was then she noticed his dirty black pants and oil-stained gray button-down shirt. His name was embroidered in red and white thread over the left side of his chest. "What are you wearing?"

"What, this?" He glanced down at himself. "It's my uniform."

"Uniform?"

"Yeah. You know, from my job?" He smirked. "There ain't a lot of money in bustin' gangbangers, even if it _is_ fun."

"Uh..." Funny, she'd never thought about Casey actually having a job. "Where...where do you work?"

"Carson's Garage, over on 31st. I'm a mechanic."

That explained why he always had motor oil lining the creases of his hands. "I didn't know."

"Yeah, I've been workin' there since I was a kid. Phil Carson knew my pop. He let me start cleanin' the shop when I was thirteen and paid me out of his own pocket until he could hire me legally when I was fifteen. Made me a deal: I'd have a job as long as I wanted so long as I didn't drop out of school." He tilted his head to the side, abruptly changing the subject as he studied her. "You sure you feel okay? You don't look so good."

"Gee, thanks."

"Come on, you know what I mean."

She sighed and rested her chin in her hands. "Truthfully? I'm exhausted, I think I'm getting a cough, and I haven't wanted to eat anything but saltines and apple juice for the past three days."

Casey rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, I'm off the rest of the day. Why don't you take a sick day and let me watch things down here? I swear I won't touch anything."

"I can't ask you to do that." April gave him a skeptical look. "How would you even know what to do, anyway?"

His shoulders squared a bit. "Okay, first, you didn't ask me. I offered. And second – you've got everything priced, right?"

"Right," she said slowly.

"And you'll be right upstairs if there's any questions, right?"

"...Right."

"Okay, so we're good. I know how to work a cash register and credit card machine." Seeing her dubious look, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Look, I know we kinda got off on the wrong foot. But it seems like we'll be running into each other a bunch because of the little green dudes and I thought we should at least be friendly. So come on. Let me pitch in."

She hesitated a moment longer, but she was just so _tired_. And she had never heard Casey Jones sound quite so...competent...before. "Okay," she said finally. "But only if you promise to come get me if you have any questions. And...please don't pick up anything fragile?"

"I will not pick up anything fragile," he said with exaggerated patience. "Now will you get outta here?"

With one last uncertain glance around the shop, April climbed the stairs to her apartment and changed into sweats with a sigh of relief. She poured the last of her apple juice into a glass before curling up on the couch. She'd started the movie "While You Were Sleeping" the night before but had fallen asleep during the first ten minutes. She started the movie from the beginning but her eyelids were growing heavy before the opening credits were done. One moment she heard Natalie Cole singing the opening song, and the next she was rattled awake by a heavy knock at the door. She lifted her head and blinked in confusion at the dim twilight, still not registering that someone was waiting in the hall.

The knock came again and she heard Casey's voice through the door. "April? You in there? I've got your keys."

A startled glance at the clock showed that it was after 6:30, and she jumped clumsily to her feet, still tangled in her blanket. "Coming!" She hurried to open the door. Casey stepped inside, holding out the keys to her shop in one hand and a plastic bag from the mini-mart down the street in the other.

"I locked up for you. And I stepped out for a sec to pick up a couple things."

April took the bag. A grateful smile dawned on her face as she saw a bottle of apple juice, a box of crackers, and cough medicine. "Thanks, Casey. You didn't have to do this."

"I figured I'd save you a trip later," he said with a shrug.

"Well, I really appreciate it." She set the bag down and jingled the keys. "Come on, I'll let you out."

"Nah, don't bother. I'll just use the fire escape. Raph showed me how to climb down without makin' any noise." He gave her a little smile and wave as he climbed out the window. "Feel better, okay, April?"

To her surprise, April found herself smiling and waving back.

The next week, he tripped over an uneven floorboard in her store and knocked over a vase. She would have strangled him if Donatello hadn't held her back. "Put me _down_, Donny! _Jones!_ Get back here!"

* * *

**The First Step**

"Soooooo..."

April jumped, letting out a very undignified squeak. "Geez, Raph! Take a couple years off my life, why don't you?"

The smirk on his face only widened as he climbed in from the fire escape. "So when were you planning on tellin' us about your thing for Casey?"

She could feel herself blushing all the way up to her forehead. The heat in her cheeks made her think her face had to be the color of her friend's mask. "I – it's not a 'thing'," she sputtered. "We went to get ice cream together. That's it."

"Is it, now?" he crossed his arms, insufferably smug. "I didn't think a big, 'myopic ape' with 'misogynistic' tendencies would be your type."

April collapsed onto the couch and slapped a throw cushion over her burning face, cursing both her expansive vocabulary and Raphael's memory. "That was _years_ ago!" she groaned into the pillow.

The cushion beside her dipped heavily as Raph's familiar bulk settled next to her. He tugged at the pillow but she didn't let go. "Aw, come on. I'm only messing with you." His solid shoulder jostled against hers in a playful nudge. "Actually, I should be thanking you. I won the bet."

He leaned back sharply (it _wasn't_a flinch – ninja didn't flinch) as the pillow came down with surprising abruptness and her green gaze pinned him with the force of a gimlet. "Care to explain?" she asked flatly. She couldn't help feeling a tiny bit of triumph in her embarrassment as Raph's color changed a bit. She wasn't sure if turtles could blush – if they could, Raphael was doing it, but he quickly dismissed any awkwardness with a backhanded wave.

"Please. We all saw this coming. Only question was when you two lovebirds would wake up and realize you were gone on each other. I was the only one who thought it'd happen before Labor Day." He looked very pleased with himself. "Actually, by the time you two knew each other for six months, I figured you'd end up together."

April wasn't sure if she should act amused or irritated. She settled for sarcastic. "So does this mean I get to start calling you 'Yenta'?"

Raph let out a bark of laughter that turned into one of his warm, rumbling chuckles. "Here I am, coming to tell you 'mazel tov' and all I get is sass. What kind of attitude is that for a young lady? You'd think you spent your life hanging out in sewers."

The only thing worse than a smug Turtle was a Turtle who thought he was a comedian. The pillow came back up. "I need a drink."

His hard-shelled warmth disappeared from her side. She didn't hear him move, but she heard the fridge open and the clink of bottles. If he noticed that the beer she had started keeping in her home was Casey's preferred brand, he didn't say anything. She felt the throw pillow being tugged on again and this time she let him pull it away. A green, three-fingered hand hovered in front of her face holding an ice-cold brown bottle. He'd already removed the cap.

She snatched the bottle from his grasp and raised it to her lips, only letting it drop when she'd drained half of it. Raph drank more slowly. Drops of condensation ran down the brown glass and beaded on his hand.

"Okay," she finally said, feeling the scrutiny of his amber gaze. "You caught me. I have a thing for Casey Jones."

"Do tell."

"Wipe that smirk off your face," she warned. "If you keep this up, I'm going to start locking the windows and you can start buying your own beer."

He raised his hands defensively in mock horror at her empty threat, but she knew him well enough to see the subtle softening around his eyes as his expression gentled. "Hey, I'm glad for ya," he said. "It was a long time coming."

They sat together in companionable silence for a while before Raph spoke again. "You know he loves you, right?" he asked quietly. He stared at his drink, swirling the last few sips around in the bottom of the bottle. "I mean...he ain't gonna say it. Not so soon. But he does."

April picked at the label on her bottle with her thumbnail. "I know," she said softly. It gave her little elated butterflies in her stomach, but it also frightened her a little. It had been a long time since she'd been in a relationship, and she'd never been with someone who clearly felt so deeply for her. Casey hadn't really talked much about his feelings, but the smile that lit his blue eyes when he saw her coming said more than enough. April respected him, cared about him, felt inexorably drawn to him...but was that love? She didn't know. She'd never been in love before.

"Hey." Raph bumped her with his shoulder again. "This is a good thing, April."

She smiled at him and nudged him back. "I know."

His eyes glinted mischievously. "But you'll let me know if you need me to defend your honor or anything, right? 'Cause the virtue of a young lady is something that should never be - "

The rest of his words were muffled as she lifted the pillow a third time and smacked him in the face.

* * *

**Down the Road**

"So what do you girls have planned for tomorrow?" Casey asked, pulling on his coat.

"The art museum, I think," April said, darting a glance at her sister to get a nod of confirmation. "Hank asked me if he could get a few more hours, so he'll be watching the store."

"Seems like he's workin' out pretty well."

April nodded. The soft-spoken Vietnam War veteran had been her first official hire two months before. "I've really appreciated Angel pitching in on the weekends, but it's made a huge difference in my workload to have steady part-time help."

"Cool. Well, I'll leave you to your girl talk," Casey said with a sideways smile. He extended his large hand once again. "Robyn, it was really nice to meet you. Maybe you two can give me a call when you're done at the museum and I'll take you to dinner."

Robyn smiled warmly and shook his hand goodbye. "That sounds great."

"Casey bent to give April a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping out the door. "See you later, A."

"G'night, Casey." She smiled at him and closed the door. His heavy footsteps echoed in the stairwell until he let himself out of the building. Robyn was already gathering up the empty wine glasses, so April headed to the kitchen and started filling the sink with hot water.

"You did a really good job on dinner," Robyn said as she entered the room. "Your cooking skills have definitely improved."

"Don't get used to it," April replied with a smirk. "I'm only showing off for you. We're eating out for the rest of the week."

Her sister laughed and covered the lasagna before putting it in the fridge. "I'm glad I finally met your mystery man," she said, "although he wasn't what I was expecting."

"Believe me, he wasn't what _I _was expecting either." April pulled on her big pink rubber gloves and gave a generous squirt of dish soap to the rapidly filling sink. The steam curling up from the water smelled like warm lemons.

"I always figured you'd end up with someone like...oh, I don't know. Stephen Hawking."

"Oh, please."

"You know what I mean. You're two very different people, Sis. I'm actually surprised you've been with him so long. He doesn't seem like someone who would hold your interest." Robyn tucked a strand of dark auburn hair behind her ear, tilting her head inquisitively. "You said you met through mutual friends?"

April's lips quirked a bit in amusement. It sounded so tame and normal when her sister put it like that. "That's right."

There was a moment of silence as Robyn gathered up the empty plates. "If you didn't still have the same group of friends, do you think you'd stay together?" she asked carefully, handing her sister the stack of china.

"I used to ask myself the same question," April answered quietly. Casey was the polar opposite of anyone she had ever been attracted to, but fate had thrown them together. Actually, a bunch of aliens, gang members, and psychotic scientists had thrown them together...

...And there wasn't anyone else she could relate to or talk to about it. She knew some of her friends thought she was settling for someone beneath her, even if they hadn't said it out loud. And truthfully, she had wondered what would have happened if she had met someone else. Would she have been able to trust him with the knowledge of Splinter and his sons? Would they have welcomed a new human presence into their lives? For her sake, she thought, they would be willing to reveal themselves to someone new, but her ersatz family had risked so much for her since she'd met them, she didn't know how she could ask for more. In her most uncertain moments, she had asked herself what would become of her and Casey if the unthinkable happened – if the Hamato clan were somehow taken from them. Did she and Casey have enough between them to keep them together?

"Maybe at first, we wouldn't have stayed together," she admitted. "But I don't worry about that anymore. Not after really getting to know him."

Robyn picked up a towel and waited for her sister to hand her a dish to dry. "So tell me more. What do you guys do together?"

April wrinkled her nose at the stubborn tomato sauce that had gotten burned onto the edges of her baking pan and shoved the dish under the water to scrub it again. "It's true that we don't have much in common, but we've learned how to share interests. You'd be surprised how romantic a late-night motorcycle ride can be. And believe it or not, we've gotten dressed up and gone out somewhere nice for dinner – he's not crazy about sushi but he knows I really like it. And you know what else?" she said, pointing a sudsy finger at Robyn's face, "We read books together."

Robyn shook her head. "I don't mean anything bad by this, but I didn't peg Casey as much of a reader."

"He isn't, but he loves stories. So if there's a book I like or I think _he'll_ like, he'll let me read it to him. Sometimes it'll be while he's working on his bike or getting something else done, but sometimes we'll just sit and I'll read aloud. We finished _Les Miserables_ a few months ago. He walked in on me crying my eyes out over the last few chapters and he got curious."

"No way!" Robyn giggled. "You read that _entire_ book out loud?"

April laughed, too. "Almost all of it. I skipped the battle of Waterloo and most of the religious and political commentary. He really liked it, though!"

What April _didn't_ mention was that Casey hadn't been the only listener...

"_So when's the next story time? Can we come?"_

_Casey folded his arms and glared at Michelangelo. "Wait a second. You guys just spent the last five minutes giving me hell about this, and now you wanna join in?"_

_Mikey grinned shamelessly. "Sounds like fun!"_

_April giggled and Casey turned his glare on her, but the softness that stole into his eyes whenever he looked at her lessened its impact. "You are not helping."_

_She threaded her arm though his and hip-checked him playfully. "I'm not trying to help." Turning her attention to the Turtles, she said, "You can come over at eight tomorrow night. We're reading 'Les Miserables'."_

_Leo's eyes lit up. "Really?"_

"_You've read it?" April asked, surprised._

"_Twice. It's one of my favorites. How far into the book are you?"_

_A delighted smile brightened April's face. "We just started! Jean Valjean just got to the Bishop's home."_

"_Great. Now you can geek out with someone else other than Donny," Raph said with a smirk._

"_Go ahead, mock me now, but you won't be laughing once you experience this book," April replied archly._

"_We'll see you tomorrow night, April," Leo said. He hooked the fingers of his right hand through the back of Raph's belt, tugging him along as he herded Mike and Don toward the window with his left. "Come on, guys. We're late starting our training run. If you can keep up with me, I'll tell you all about the Bishop so you're caught up with the story."_

"_Oh, wonderful," Raph drawled, pulling free from Leo's grip. "Come on, Mikey. Auntie Leo is gonna give you story time right now." He ducked under Leo's open-handed swat, tweaked the back of Michelangelo's mask, ("Hey!") and slipped out the window first. Leo grinned and chased after him, Mike hot on his heels. Don tarried just long enough to toss a quick "See you later!" over his shoulder, then he was gone._

The Turtles showed up for April and Casey's reading sessions frequently after that. Whenever they missed a few chapters, Leo would fill in the gaps for them. As much as April enjoyed having the brothers join them, there was one day she was very glad they had missed. She had been reading Marius' love letter to Cosette: _You look at a star from two motives, because it is luminous and because it is impenetrable. You have at your side a softer radiance and a greater mystery, woman._ Casey was stretched on the couch with his head in her lap. He hadn't said anything, but he had lifted his hand and very gently brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek.

"I know he doesn't seem like my kind of guy," she continued softly, "but he's really a good man, Rob. He's a lot kinder and braver than I ever gave him credit for when we first met." And there were all the things April _couldn't_ tell her sister: Casey's quiet confidence while taking them to his farmhouse after the disastrous attack by the Shredder that had destroyed her home and nearly killed Leonardo; the endearing way he roughhoused with the Turtles like a goofy older brother; his steadiness and strength during the bizarre Triceraton invasion; and the first time her eyes were opened and she really looked at him, the first time she realized that this was a man who would never let any harm come to her: _"Hun! Never, __**ever**__ threaten __**her**__!"_

Robyn looked down at her interwoven fingers. "I've questioned your choices a lot over the past few years," she said in a small voice.

"Yes, you have," April agreed dryly.

"I'm sorry." Robyn put the last plate away and leaned her hip against the counter. "I had no right to do that. It's just...you're my little sister. I can't just forget that. Even though we're adults now, I still feel responsible for you."

April grinned. All Robyn was missing was a blue mask. "I know. I understand that a lot more now than I did when I was younger."

"You don't need to prove anything to me," Robyn said, resting a hand on April's shoulder. "Just...don't disappear on me, okay? You've been a lot harder to contact over the past few years and I'm afraid of losing touch. Promise to keep me in the loop?"

April smiled, hoping that Robyn couldn't see her heart's bittersweet throb reflected in her eyes. "I promise." It was not the first time – and it wouldn't be the last – that one breath had held both a lie and a heartfelt truth.

* * *

_This story has gotten away from me a bit. I originally planned four one-shots, which I wrote – but the fourth has taken on a life of its own and doesn't really fit with this series any more. So it will be its own stand-alone story, but there will still be one more short story in this series. I know what it's going to be...just have to write it. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! _


	4. God Laughs

_Last one-shot in this series! This picks up at the very end of the 2k3 season 4 episode "Good Genes Part 2". The story assumes that April and Casey are still on board the helicopter when Leo, Raph, and Mike go back to Area 51. We don't actually see if they're in the chopper or not at the end, but I think it makes sense – I doubt that the guys would take the time to drop their human buddies at home before heading back to get the rest of their family, and I find it highly unlikely that April and Casey would agree to just wait at home. Besides, someone had to guard the helicopter from Bishop while the guys were busy saving Don._

* * *

God Laughs

April struggled to keep her hands steady as her heart hammered violently against her ribs. Her left hand was clenched tightly around the helicopter's collective lever while her right wrapped in a death grip around the cyclic in front of her. Her fingers slipped a little, slick with sweat, and she let go for a fraction of a second to wipe her palms against her jeans. It had been mere minutes since Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo had entered Bishop's base, but the silent desert had suddenly erupted with blaring klaxons and the sinister strobe of red warning lights.

"It'll be okay," Casey said. His words were deliberately calm, but she could feel his muscular frame vibrating with tension where his hand rested heavily on her shoulder.

"It's Bishop," she retorted, voice low and tight in her throat. Her eyes narrowed as if she could focus her gaze like a green laser beam and pierce the corrupt government agent's heart. Her already rapid pulse double-timed when hundreds of black-clad figures emerged from the compound at a run, making the sand-colored buildings look like an anthill that had broken open.

"Whoa...where are _they_ going?" Casey muttered.

April tore her eyes from the fleeing soldiers to glance briefly at the weapons control to her right. "I'm not sure. Better strap in, Case. I don't know if the guys are behind this or not, but things could get hairy pretty quickly." The warmth of his hand disappeared from her shoulder as Casey moved to one of the jumpseats in back, leaving the co-pilot's chair free for Leonardo if – _when_ – the Turtles came out.

Ten agonizingly long minutes later, relief spilled over April like a waterfall when she saw Leatherhead's enormous silhouette in the doorway. She strained her eyes as more figures came into view – Splinter was a gray and brown blur flanked by flashes of red, orange, blue, and...

"They've got Donny!" April crowed joyfully. She kicked the idling engine out of warm-up and the rotors started to turn as her friends sprinted towards the helicopter.

Leo raised his arm, waving frantically. "Move it!" he hollered. "This place is about to blow!"

Raphael came bounding through the doorway first, holding Don close to his side and all but carrying his brother's weight. Leo threw himself into the co-pilot's chair and buckled in as Splinter brought up the rear. April gave Leo a nod and he initiated take-off. The helicopter lurched into the air and the metal frame groaned at the sudden speed. They were just in time. As soon as they lifted off, the night grew bright as day as the compound exploded, sending a fiery column of dark smoke billowing up to choke the stars.

"Geez," Casey said, looking down at the destroyed base. "Your friend doesn't do anything halfway."

"He is no friend of mine," Leatherhead snarled. "And the only thing he does halfway is tell the truth."

Donatello swayed on his feet slightly, trying to maintain his balance in the moving helicopter. Leatherhead stepped close behind him and leaned slightly against his shell to steady him, ire dissipating as he looked down at the dazed Turtle in concern.

Splinter reached out and took Don's hand. "Welcome back, my son."

"I hope you guys didn't go through too much trouble for me," Don said. There was a pause as his brothers exchanged an uncertain look. Leatherhead hadn't been sure how much Don would remember.

Mikey, true to form, was the first to break the tension. "Naaah," he said with a grin, waving away the question.

Don's brow puckered a little as he realized he was missing something, but he didn't have the strength to press his family for questions. When his still-shaking legs gave out on him, Leatherhead was there to catch him in his large hands. "Donatello, you are _not_ all right," he said worriedly.

"No, I'm fine," Don protested. "I'm just...really tired. And I think I know how Raph's punching bag must feel. I ache all over."

"I am not surprised," the Crocodile replied, easing his friend down to recline against the bulkhead. "Your body has been through an ordeal. It will take some time before you feel like yourself again, I think."

"Why? What happened?" Sudden panic washed over his face as the echo of terror and black rage sank its claws into his memory. "Wait – Casey, are you okay? Where's April?"

"Don, I'm here!" April risked a glance back and gave her friend what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "We're all okay."

He looked relieved, but troubled. "I thought you were in danger..."

Mike glanced at Raph briefly, giving him a visual nudge. The red-masked Turtle looked down at his brother. "What exactly _do_ you remember?" he asked carefully.

The troubled look intensified. "I was sick. You guys left me at April's for the night. I remember I just kept feeling worse – so hot, and I hurt so much I thought I'd die..." Although he formed his words with his habitual precision, the vague wandering tone in his voice betrayed the fact that he still wasn't completely tracking with the rest of them. "What happened?" he asked again. He craned his neck to see out the window. "Where are we, anyway?"

"We will answer all your questions," Splinter said, covering his son with a blanket and brushing a furry hand softly over the top of his head. "But only after you are rested. Trust us, my son. We will take care of you. Sleep, now."

The fact that Don didn't argue was a testament to how exhausted he was. April knew he had felt too poorly to sleep well before the whole nightmare started, and he hadn't slept at all after the secondary mutation – he had been expending all his rapidly dwindling energy on rage-fueled escape attempts. The only times he had been still were when he had been heavily sedated, a chemically-induced slumber that brought no rest. He didn't know that yet, though. All he knew was that he was hurting and utterly wrung out. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, curled against the solid furnace of Leatherhead's side, and was asleep in moments.

The ride home was quiet. Leatherhead had not paused to rest either during the whole ordeal, and he fell asleep not long after Donatello. In a low voice, Splinter told April, Casey, and his sons what had happened in their absence. The revelation that Bishop hadn't had the cure at all – that Leatherhead had been the one to crack the code of the mutagen – left the three Turtles stunned.

Raphael clenched his fists so hard that he started to shake. "That son of a bitch," he growled. "He used us! He played us like we were a bunch of - "

"Brothers," Leo cut in. His voice was low, but it stopped Raphael's building tirade instantly. He half-turned to look at his sibling. "Three brothers, desperate to save our fourth. Like it or not, Bishop has us figured out. He knew we'd go to the edge and back for Donny."

"_Did_ we come back?" Raph asked. His voice was sullen, but he wasn't upset with Leo. "We as good as declared war on the Foot. Again. As if Karai wasn't _already_ obsessed with getting your head on a pike – this is gonna make her go Captain Ahab on your ass."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, April had to bite the inside of her cheek to choke back the unexpected bubble of laughter that Raphael's analogy triggered. But Leo just sighed, letting his head fall back against the seat. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. Right now..." He swallowed hard, looking at his slumbering brother. "Right now, let's just be grateful that we've got our Don back."

The eastern horizon grew slowly lighter as they flew, and as the New York skyline appeared in the distance, the sun set fire to the sky.

* * *

It was nearly a week before April heard from them. She wasn't surprised. She had learned – far too often over the years – that when one of the Turtles had a close call, the brothers tended to close ranks and withdraw until their injured brother was on the mend. They weren't trying to exclude her, and she knew if she were to show up at the lair she would be welcomed, but she also knew how to respect the need for time and space.

So when her Shell Cell chirped five days later, she snatched it up, a grin already spreading across her face as she saw the name on the caller ID. "Hey there, Don! How are you feeling?"

"Much better," came the blessedly familiar voice. "I have you and Leatherhead to thank for that, I'm told."

"Leatherhead did all the work," she amended. "I just sent him a bunch of emails and translated your chicken scratch." Leatherhead had requested her help in his research – he hadn't wanted to download any of Don's work onto Stockman's computers or take hard copies with him lest it fall into Bishop's hands. He had done his work logged in to his encrypted email account.

"Well, thanks anyway," Don said.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"Well...I was wondering if I might come over tonight. The guys are going out on patrol in a bit and I..." He didn't say _can't keep up. _"I'm going a little stir crazy."

She glanced uncertainly at the holes gouged in her apartment wall, but smiled into the phone. "You need to ask? Of course you can come over! I was going to make dinner soon. How does grilled cheese and tomato soup sound?"

"Sounds great. I'll be over soon."

April unlocked the door for him, then hurried to gather up the pile of laundry she'd deposited on the couch. It was clean, but she'd avoided folding it for two days. She dumped it on her bed, hesitated for a moment, then decided she'd sort socks later and left it there, making sure to close the door to hide the evidence. She was in the middle of slicing cheese for the sandwiches when she heard the sound of the door closing very quietly. She turned with a grin to see Don standing in her living room next to the duffel bag he'd just set down. She knew he'd avoided entering noiselessly on purpose. It was second nature for the Turtles to move without a whisper of sound, but one too many startled yelps from their human friends had taught them that it was in the best interest of everyone concerned to announce their presence somehow.

"Donny, I'm so glad to see you!" She hurried over to him and hugged him tightly. "You really had us worried."

"It's good to see you too." He stepped back as soon as she released him and held out the bright bunch of wildflowers gathered in his hand. "I wasn't sure what I should give you for a 'Sorry I Almost Killed You' present," he said, smiling hesitantly. "If you have any ideas of what I should get Casey, let me know."

April smiled, touched and a little sad, as she took the flowers. "They're beautiful. But you should know this isn't necessary." Still sensing his distress, she tried to sound lighthearted as she asked, "You didn't get flowers for Mikey or Raph, did you?"

For a moment, she thought she'd made a mistake. She'd meant it as a gentle tease, but perhaps all it would do would remind Donatello how violently he'd attacked his own brothers. But she saw the moment when realization and acceptance connected in his eyes and his shoulders relaxed. Don was smart enough to know that he wasn't at fault for any of the destruction he'd caused...he just needed to be sure that others didn't hold it against him.

Putting her arm around his shoulders – proving to him that she wasn't afraid to be near him – she guided him into the kitchen. "Come on. You can stir the soup." She tossed a wooden spoon and two cans in his general direction. He caught them easily. A short time later, the warm smell of tomato soup and the sound of bread sizzling in a frying pan filled the small kitchen.

Dinner didn't take long to prepare, and the two of them ate in easy silence. Don kept glancing out the window at the slowly sinking sun, and April could see the look of contentment on his face as the rays played across his body. The Turtles had grown up living a nocturnal lifestyle, both out of the need to avoid detection and due to the natural inclinations of their Sensei, but they loved the long days of summer when the sun still hovered above the horizon for a few hours after they awoke.

"I brought some tools over," Don said when they were finished. "Figured I could help patch things up since I was the one who caused all the damage." He lifted a three-fingered hand when he saw her beginning to protest. "Uh-uh. Don't argue. This is happening. Besides," he said with a lopsided grin, "I need to keep myself busy somehow. I've spent the last five days with three mother hens and _Raph_."

"Fine, I'll put you to work," she said with a laugh. They left the dishes for later and headed for the basement where the worst of the damage was. April had already started fixing the drywall. She took sandpaper and started smoothing over the dried plaster while Don patched over the claw marks gouged in the powdery surface. They didn't speak much while they were working, and it was only when Don's putty knife clattered to the cement floor that April realized something was wrong. Ninjas didn't just drop things.

She glanced at him sharply and saw him bending to pick up the dropped tool. He moved a little slower than was his wont, and a fine sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. Dust clung to his hands and arms, making the olive hue of his skin look ghostly pale.

"Maybe we should take a break," she suggested carefully.

He shook his head. "I'm okay."

"Sure you are." Wiping the dust from her hands, she set aside the sandpaper and hooked one hand through his elbow, steering him toward the stairs. "You forget I know you, Donny. I can tell you're tired. And we've been at this for a while anyway. I'm ready to call it a night." He sighed a little and nodded, and she thanked her lucky stars that she was dealing with Don and not Raphael. Raph would keep going until he keeled over and she knew she couldn't lug 180 pounds of hard-shelled dead weight up the stairs. "You go wash up," she said, giving his shell a little push. "I'll put this away and be up shortly."

It didn't take long to gather her supplies. She heard the phone ringing as she locked everything the supply cabinet, but by the time she made it upstairs the machine had already shut off. Donatello was standing by the window, watching the sun sink into the iron and glass forest of the city. The red light from the answering machine flashed brightly in the low evening light. "Who called?" she asked.

She was a little confused by the guarded look that slipped briefly across his face at first, but when he took a short breath and answered, "I think it was your aunt," she understood. Nora O'Neil Parker was abrasive under the best of circumstances. She didn't envy Don having to sit through an entire recording from her relation.

She toed off her shoes and left them by the door before crossing the living room to her phone. "Well, let me see what she wanted and then we can watch a movie." When she hit "play", the familiar strident voice of her father's older sister filled the small apartment.

"_April, it's your Aunt Nora. I've called a few times but you haven't been home – I suppose I'll just have to leave a message this time. April, dear, I'm worried about you. I don't want to make you angry, but your life seems to have stalled a bit, don't you think? You had so much potential! You put so much time and money towards getting your degree and I'd hate to see it go to waste. Are you really going to let everything you've accomplished so far – "_

April deleted the message with a jab of her finger. "And _that_ is why I don't answer when you call," she muttered. Giving Don a wry smile, she said, "Caller ID is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

He smiled halfheartedly and moved to sit on the couch. Concerned by his uncharacteristic reticence, she sat down next to him and leaned forward a little, trying and failing to make eye contact. "Hey, are you sure you're all right? Do you need me to take you home?"

"No, I'm fine. I just...I wish you hadn't had to hear that."

"What, Aunt Nora?" She rolled her eyes. "There's no pleasing her. Even if I won the Nobel prize, she'd find something to criticize."

He was still gazing at her answering machine. "Is that what your whole family thinks?"

"Everyone except for Robyn and Uncle Augie. And you guys," she added, gently prodding him in the side with her elbow.

A small smile crossed his face, but he still didn't look at her. "You don't feel that way, do you? Stalled, I mean. Your life would have turned out pretty differently if you hadn't fallen in with us."

She lifted her hand to swat him lightly on the back of the head. "Have you forgotten the night I first met you guys? If I hadn't 'fallen in with you', I'd be dead. Stockman sicced his Mousers on me, remember?" Despite the years that had passed, the memory still made her shudder as she imagined being violently torn to pieces by razor-sharp metal jaws.

"You don't feel as if we've held you back?"

"Are you kidding?" she said with a smirk. "I've been instrumental in curtailing gang (and ninja) violence in this city, fought off an alien invasion, learned Ninjitsu from a martial arts master, and I just helped save New York – and possibly the world – from a killer mutant virus outbreak. I've also gotten pretty darn good at piloting a helicopter. That's just the highlight reel. I think I've achieved quite a bit, don't you?"

Finally, he met her gaze. The last glow of red-orange light from the sun illuminated the gold flecks in his cocoa-colored eyes, and she felt her heart grow light with relief as he started to smile. "It makes for one heck of a résumé."

"Yep. Too bad I can never show it to anyone." She grinned. "So what if life didn't turn out the way I expected? I wouldn't change a thing."

Humor crept into his voice as he answered. "I suppose you couldn't really have a contingency plan for giant mutant Turtles."

She winked at him. "Have you ever heard the proverb 'man plans and God laughs'?"

Don laughed outright for the first time in weeks, the last of the doubt in his eyes vanishing like fog in the sunshine. "God must have a pretty warped sense of humor."

April chuckled. "So it would seem." She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, leaned in, and kissed his temple. "Fortunately, so do I."


End file.
